December
1922
|
cDec-01-22/1 |
The Neutral IRA is formed and led by Sean O’Hegarty and Florence O’Donoghue - two senior Cork members of the
pre-Truce IRA. The Neutral IRA is made up of pre-Truce IRA men who took
neither side in Civil War. It becomes involved in various peace
moves. (O’Donoghue claims a membership, at its peak, of 20,000.) See
Dec-31-22/2. A convention was organised in Dublin in
February 1923 but the organisation was wound up in March 1923. |
Hopkinson (1988), pg
185; Farry (2012), pg 105;
Kissane (2005), pg 138 |
|
Dec-01-22/2 |
The Meath/North Kildare anti-Treaty column,
led by Paddy Mullaney, is captured near Pike’s Bridge, Leixlip on the
Dublin-Kildare border after a long fight. One pro-Treaty soldier (Private Haran or
Private Joseph Moran) is killed. 22
members of the column are taken prisoner.
Five are found to be deserters from the pro-Treaty army – they had
been stationed at Baldonnel Aerodrome. Six (including all five of the deserters)
are subsequently executed – see Jan-08-23/1. |
Hopkinson (1988), pg
220; Dorney (2017), pg 165; Durney
(2011), pgs 103-105 |
|
Dec-02-22/1 |
Anti-Treaty volunteer, Captain Patrick
Cormack, is shot in an altercation with pro-Treaty soldiers in Johnstown, Co
Kilkenny. |
Walsh (2018), pg 213 |
|
Dec-02-22/2 |
An agrarian dispute leads to the death of
Frances McCarron at Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim. |
McGarty
(2020), pg 123 |
|
Dec-02-22/3 |
A report by the intelligence section of the
Dublin District of the British Army states that “the objection of the tribal
Irish is not so much to the British Government as to any form of Government …
a prejudice they share in common with the Boers of the Backveld, the Arabs of
Iraq, and other semi-wild races. The struggle of the Southern Irish in fact
is a struggle not so much against the British Government, as against
civilization; and as long as civilization endures, the struggle is likely to
continue”. The sentiment in this report reflects the Hibernophobic stereotypes held by many in the British
military and in the ‘Die Hard’ wing of the British Conservative Party. |
McMahon (2008), pg
168 |
|
Dec-03-22/1 |
Pro-Treaty Private John Dooley from Loughbrown, Newbridge is killed in an explosion in
Wexford. |
Durney
(2011), pg 101 |
|
Dec-03-22/2 |
Twenty-six year old
William Brosnan is shot dead in the main street of Castleisland, Co. Kerry. |
Doyle (2008), pg 226 |
|
Dec-04-22/1 |
Baldwin writes back to Craig (see Nov-28-22/1)
saying that following consultation with the British Prime Minister (Bonar
Law), Craig’s demand for an additional £200,000 to fund the Specials for the
current year would be granted after all.
(This brought the total received by the NI government from the British
Treasury to fund the Specials for fiscal year 1922-1923 to £2.7m.) This issue of the funding of the Specials for
1923-1924 was shelved but see Feb-22-23/1. |
Matthews (2004), pg
106 |
|
Dec-04-22/2 |
Anti-Treaty forces attack village of Ballymakeera, Co Cork. |
Hart (1998), pg 119 |
|
Dec-04-22/3 |
Pro-Treaty Corporal George McGlynn from Forge,
New Row, Naas, Co. Kildare dies of his wounds. |
Durney
(2011), pg 101 |
|
cDec-04-22/4 |
First civic guards arrive in Listowel, Co.
Kerry. |
Doyle (2008), pg
226-227 |
|
Dec-05-22/1 |
In England, the “Irish Free State Constitution
Bill” and “Irish Free State (Consequential Provisions) Bill” receive royal
assent. The British King also approved the appointment of Tim Healy as
Governor-General designate of the Irish Free State. For more see Dec-06-22/1. |
Macardle
(1999), pg 820; Curran J M (1980), pg 263 |
|
Dec-05-22/2 |
The Dáil approves the Saorstát
Éireann Act which ratifies the Constitution of the
Irish Free State. In British terms, the members of the
Provisional Parliament met as the Lower House of the Parliament of the Irish
Free State. This House continued to designate itself as the Dáil.
No anti-Treaty deputy was present. All deputies present took the Oath of
Allegiance but the Labour Party members took it under protest. (Tom
Johnson said that the oath would not restrict the Labour Party if and when
the people chose to denounce the Treaty and change the constitution.) |
O'Farrell P (1997), pg
xxiii; Macardle (1999), pg
820; Curran J M (1980), pg 264 |
|
Dec-05 to
06-22/1 |
After two previous attempts to retake Kenmare,
Co. Kerry by pro-Treaty forces had failed (the town had been in anti-Treaty
hands since early September – see Sep-09-22/2), three columns of pro-Treaty
troops set out to re-take the town. All three convoys arrive in Kenmare on
December 6th and meet no resistance. Following the capture of
Kenmare, 14 anti-Treaty men are taken prisoner. |
Doyle (2008), pg 229
& 233 |
|
Dec-06-22/1 |
The British King signs the proclamation
announcing the adoption of the constitution and the Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann) comes
officially into being. At a meeting of the Dáil, (Curran says this
was the first meeting of the Free State Parliament), Cosgrave is elected
President of the Executive Council. He nominated the other members of
the Executive Council – each keeping the post they had in the cabinet of the
Provisional Government while Cosgrave still kept Finance to himself.
Members were Richard Mulcahy, Kevin O’Higgins, Ernest Blythe, Eoin MacNeill,
Joe McGrath and Desmond Fitzgerald. O’Higgins was also
vice-President. Later in the day, nominations and elections to
the Senate took place. Cosgrave
appointed 30 and the Dáil elected a further 30. The members of the Senate
included Oliver St John Gogarty; Andrew Jameson,
John Bagwell, Sir Bryan Mahon, Sir Horace Plunkett, William Butler Yeats,
Colonel Maurice Moore, Alice Stopford Green, Ellen Cuffe (Dowager Countess of
Desart) and James Douglas. In all, the Senate
consisted of 36 Catholics, 20 Protestants, 3 Quakers and one Jew. Cosgrave’s
nominees included 16 southern unionists. (Curran says that the fact that a
sizable number of the Senate were Protestant and unionist showed the new
government’s desire to reconcile them to the new order.) Shortly after this date, the remaining British
troops leave Dublin with the last ones leaving on December 17th.
(Macready had stayed in command of 5,000 troops.) Henceforth, in this chronology, the pro-Treaty government
and army will mostly be called the Free State government and army. |
O'Farrell P (1997), pg
xxiii; Curran J M (1980), pg 263; Ferriter (2021), pg 92; Connell
(2022), pg 70 |
|
Dec-07-22/1 |
Craig
says that as the Northern Government is not a party to the Treaty, they would
refuse to nominate a member to the Boundary Commission which he held to be ultra
vires. He also expressed the hope that real feelings of friendship might
come about between the two communities in the northern state. |
Augusteijn
(2002), pg 235; Macardle
(1999), pg 821; Phoenix (1994), pgs
266-267 |
|
Dec -07-22/2 |
GHQ of the Free State army sends a memo to all
commands saying that the 1st and 2nd Northern Divisions
(which had been previously amalgamated) were to be stood down and
“communications are not to be sent to them until further notice”. Gallagher says 1st
and 2nd Northern Divisions but it is possible that it should have
read 2nd and 3rd Northern Divisions as the pro-Treaty 1st
Northern Division (covering Donegal under Joe McSweeney) was very much still
in operation whereas most of the IRA men from the 2nd and 3rd
Northern Divisions were either in prison or in the Curragh. Also see Mar-31-23/2. |
Gallagher (2003), pg
41 |
|
Dec-07-22/3 |
Anti-Treaty members of the Dublin No.1 Brigade
ASU assassinate pro-Treaty TD Sean Hales outside the Ormond Hotel on Ormond
Quay in Dublin and wound another TD (Padraig O'Maille).
Dorney says that one of the two men who carried out this attack was Owen
Donnelly from Glasnevin. The Free State’s Executive Council meets in
emergency session and express fears that this killing and wounding were the
start of an assassination campaign as outlined in Lynch’s letter of November
27th (see Nov-27-22/1). As they expected resignations from
the Dáil (see Nov-29-22/1), they decide to order the execution of four jailed
anti-Treaty leaders. The four chosen
had been in custody since the fall of the Four Courts. O’Higgins initially expressed reservations -
he had been best man at the wedding of the one of those it was proposed to
execute (Rory O’Connor) – but he is persuaded and then he helps to persuade
McGrath (who arrived late). The decision is unanimous. This
decision was contrary to the Constitution of the Irish Free State. There is
not even the formality of a drumhead court martial. See Dec-08-22/2 |
O’Donoghue (1986), pg
279; Hopkinson (1988), pg 190-191; Curran J M
(1980), pg 265; Dorney (2017), pgs
215-218 |
|
Dec-07-22/4 |
Seventeen-year-old Annie Cardwell is killed in
her home in Cellbridge, Co Kildare when a visiting
anti-Treaty volunteer accidently discharges his rifle. |
Durney
(2011), pg 158 |
|
Dec-08-22/1 |
The Irish News, responding to Craig’s
statement on the Boundary Commission (see Dec-07-22/1) disagrees with his
interpretation but goes on to say that it will have no effect on the
destinies of perhaps two-thirds of northern nationalists. It went on to call
for nationalist unity and advocated the Belfast nationalist preference for ‘a
method of settlement by mutual agreement’. |
Phoenix (1994), pg
268 |
|
Dec-08-22/2 |
Rory O'Connor
(Monkstown, Co. Dublin); Liam Mellows (Wexford and Galway); Joe McKelvey (Stewardstown, Co. Tyrone) and Richard (Dick) Barrett (Ballineen, Co. Cork) are executed by pro-Treaty forces in
Mountjoy after the cabinet had explicitly ordered the executions as a
reprisal for the shootings on Ormond Quay the previous day.
|
O'Farrell P (1997), pg
xxiii & 222 & 223; Hopkinson (1988), pg
191; Macardle (1999), pgs
822-823; Curran J M (1980), pg 266; Dorney (2017), pgs 216-218;
Ferriter (2021), pg 72 |
|
Dec-08-22/3 |
William Harrington (23) is shot dead in
Tralee, Co. Kerry by a pro-Treaty soldier. |
Doyle (2008), pgs
231-232 |
|
Speaking of de Valera, O’Higgins says in the
Dáil “Outside you have a President who was defeated in his candidature for
the Presidency, even in that Second Dáil he talks so much about, a President
who fitly enough chooses as his Council of State, for the most part, men who
were refused a mandate from any constituency … and fitly enough that
President and Council of State has a thing which it calls an Army but simply
has degenerated into a combination of Apaches”. Also, speaking in the Dáil, Ernest Blythe says
“if we did not take the action we took [in June 1922], so far from Irregularism falling to pieces, they [the anti-Treaty
forces] would have carried out a coup d’etat and there would be no Dáil sitting here now”. |
Garvin (1996), pgs
31-32 |
|
|
Dec-08-22/5 |
An anti-Treaty prisoner, Hugh Gallagher, is
shot when trying to escape from Drumboe Castle in
Co. Donegal. He later dies from his
wounds. |
Ó Duibhir (2011), pgs 214-215 |
|
Dec-09-22/1 |
Liam Lynch issues an order stating that “all
Free State supporters are traitors and deserve the latter’s stark fate,
therefore their houses must be destroyed at once”. This led to numerous arson and other
attacks on the homes of pro-Treaty supporters. For example, between 10th December
and April 1923, the Dublin anti-Treaty Brigade destroyed 28 civilian homes,
six income tax offices and a number of hotels. |
Dorney (2017), pgs
220 & 222 |
|
Dec-10-22/1 |
Anti-Treaty volunteers arrive at the house of
pro-Treaty TD Sean McGarry in Fairview, Dublin. Despite meeting strong opposition from
neighbours, they manage to burn it down.
McGarry’s seven-year-old son, Emmet, dies in the blaze. This same night, the house of Michael McDunphy, Assistant Secretary to the Government, in Clonliffe is subjected to an arson attack. There were also arson and bomb attacks on
the home of J.J. Walsh, the Postmaster General, and on the home of Jenny Wyse
Power, the leader of the pro-Treaty Cumman na Saoire. |
Dorney (2017), pgs
220 & 221; Ferriter (2021), pg
94 |
|
Dec-10-22/2 |
A large group of anti-Treaty volunteers set
fire to the goods store at Waterford North railway station causing between
£50,000 and £100,000 worth of damage. |
McCarthy (2015), pg
114 |
|
Dec-11-22/1 |
Writing to de Valera, Lynch expresses concern
about the effect of talk of various peace initiatives was having on his
men. Specifically, he did not want a
ceasefire but a permanent truce. Also, he said that the only terms acceptable
to him were those decided at the meeting of the Executive on October 15th/16th
(outside the Empire, etc). This meant that the truce had to be agreed
simultaneously with both the British and Irish governments. |
Kissane (2005), pg
110 |
|
cDec-11-22/2 |
Free State forces capture Pax Whelan (O/C
anti-Treaty Waterford Brigade) and his brother Seán. Whelan was a member of the anti-Treaty Army
Executive. |
McCarthy (2015), pg
113 |
|
Dec-11-22/3 |
The Free State Senate meets for the first time
and James Campbell (Lord Glenavy) is elected chairman with only two
dissenting votes. One former loyalist states
“The past is dead, not only for us but for this country. We are
assembled here no longer in a Nationalist or Unionist sense, but merely as
members of the Senate.” |
Curran J M (1980), pgs
264-265; Macardle (1999), pg
821 |
|
Dec-12-22/1 |
The home (office?) of Chief State Solicitor M.
A. Corrigan, in Dame St., Dublin is set on fire and, in January, his home in
Leinster Road, Rathmines is blown up. There is also an attempt this night to kill
Richard Mulcahy at Kelly’s Corner in Dublin. |
Dorney (2017), pg
221 |
|
Dec-12-22/2 |
The bar and shop of Thomas and Carson Dennisons at Drumkeeran, Co.
Leitrim is raided resulting in both their deaths. The anti-Treaty column in the near-by Arigna mountains is suspected. |
McGarty
(2020), pg 123 |
|
Dec-12-22/3 |
De Valera writes to Lynch saying that the
policy of an “eye for an eye” and the burning of houses belonging to
pro-Treaty supporters was not going to win the people around and without the
people they could never win. Lynch replies on December 14th
saying that the burnings were helping their cause and denied that their
policy was an “eye for an eye” since they had recently released hundreds of
prisoners. De Valera wrote back on December 15th saying that Lynch
had too low an estimate of the strength and determination of their opponents
and too high an estimation of their own. |
Kissane (2005), pgs
91-92 |
|
Dec-12-22/4 |
Anti-Treaty GHQ issue a general order not to kill
unarmed members of the Civic Guard. |
Garvin (1996), pg 111 |
|
Dec-13-22/1 |
Tom Barry leads a column of about 100
anti-Treaty men into Carrick-on-Suir and a gun battle ensues with the
pro-Treaty soldiers in the town with two pro-Treaty soldiers and one civilian
shot. One pro-Treaty soldier,
Lieutenant James Gardiner, later dies of his wounds. Eventually, the pro-Treaty soldiers surrender
and they are marched to the Main St.
The anti-Treaty men capture 107 rifles, two Lewis machine guns, a
Crossley tender and two motor cars.
The pro-Treaty men are released unharmed after a few days. (Walsh says December 9th.) |
Hopkinson (1988), pg
209; O'Farrell P (1997), pg 142 & 143; Walsh
(2018), pg 214 & 218 |
|
Dec-13-22/2 |
Ten men from the anti-Treaty Rathbride Column are captured in a dugout
under the stables of the Moore’s farm in Mooresbridge,
near the Curragh, Co. Kildare. I/O of the anti-Treaty Kildare Brigade, Thomas
Behan, is killed in suspicious circumstances either during his capture or
afterwards – see Dec-19-22/2. |
Durney
(2011), pgs 122-125 |
|
Dec-14 to
15-22/1 |
Free State Army posts at Callan, Mullinavat and Thomastown taken by anti-Treaty forces led
by Tom Barry, Bill Quirke, Dinny Lacey and Ned Aylward without a shot being
fired. The pro-Treaty O/C at Callan, Capt Edward Somers, had gone over to the anti-Treaty
side. In each case, he gains entrance
the pro-Treaty posts by pretending to be still on their side. Other Free State army officers and men also
changed sides. A lot of arms of arms
and ammunition is captured by the anti-Treaty men and the barracks
destroyed. The capture of these posts
is a major embarrassment to the Free State government. The cabinet demand that Prout
be dismissed but Mulcahy ignores them. See Apr-16-23/1. |
O’Donoghue (1986), pg
280; O'Farrell P (1997), pg 142 & 143; Walsh
(2018), pgs 214-218 |
|
Dec-15-22/1 |
A Free State army column is attacked twice
when travelling between Barraduff and Rathmore in
Co. Kerry resulting in the death of pro-Treaty Private Matthew Ferguson. |
Doyle 2008), pg 233 |
|
Dec-16-22/1 |
A civilian, Patrick Martin, who was trying to
report two anti-Treaty volunteers in Piltown, Co. Kilkenny is shot by mistake
by Free State soldiers and he dies soon afterwards. |
Walsh (2018), pg
247-248 |
|
Dec-17-22/1 |
Last
British soldiers leave Dublin. |
McMahon (2008), pg
92 |
|
Dec-17-22/2 |
Anti-Treaty forces stop a train near Kilmeaden, Co. Waterford and burn it. |
McCarthy (2015), pg
114 |
|
Dec-18-22/1 |
The home of James Campbell (see Dec-11-22/3)
in Kimmage, Dublin is burnt by anti-Treaty volunteers. |
Dorney (2017), pg
222 |
|
Dec-18-22/2 |
At the final meeting of the outgoing Derry
City Council, the mayor, H C O’Doherty,
accused Craig of disfranchising the minority and reducing them to the
condition of serfs. |
Phoenix (1994), pg
268 |
|
cDec-18-22/3 |
Anti-Treaty forces capture a pro-Treaty
position in Sligo Town Hall. One Free State soldier is killed and the
anti-Treaty volunteers make away with 21 rifles, 4 revolvers and 1,300 rounds
of ammunition. |
Farry
(2012), pg 104 |
|
Dec-19-22/1 |
O/C of the Free States forces in Kerry,
General W. R. E. Murphy, announces that four captured anti-Treaty men have
been sentenced to death but that the executions will only be carried out if
there are any further attacks on his men in the area. O/C of anti-Treaty Kerry No. 1 Brigade had put
up posters in Tralee saying that eight named pro-Treaty supporters would be
killed if the four men were executed. Also, pro-Treaty Private Mulhall from Dublin
is killed in Dingle, Co. Kerry. |
Macardle
(1999), pg 823; Doyle (2008), pgs
235-236 |
|
Dec-19-22/2 |
Seven anti-Treaty prisoners are executed in
the Curragh Camp in Co. Kildare. They are Patrick Bagnall (from Fairgreen, Co. Kildare); Patrick Nolan (from Rathbridge, Co. Kildare); Stephen White (from Abbey St,
Kildare); Joseph Johnson (from Station Rd, Kildare); Patrick Mangan (from Fairgreen, Co. Kildare); James (or Joseph) O’Connor
(from Bansha, Co. Tipperary) and Brian or Byran Moore (Rathbridge, Co.
Kildare). The seven were captured in a dug-out at Mooresbridge at the edge of the Curragh in Co. Kildare on
December 13th. They were
armed with rifles bought from a soldier stationed in Naas Barracks. They were known as the Rathbride
Column (see Dec-13-22/2). Bryan Moore
was the column O/C. |
O'Farrell P (1997), pgs
222 - 225; Macardle (1999), pg
823 & 984; Durney (2011), pgs
121-135 |
|
Dec-20-22/1 |
Free State soldier Patrick Fitzgerald is shot
dead at a pub near Beggars Bush Barracks in Dublin. Seamus Dwyer, a former pro-Treaty TD, is shot
dead in his shop in Rathmines, Dublin by Bobby Bonfield
(QM and acting O/C of the 4th Battalion, Dublin anti-Treaty
Brigade). See Mar-29-23/1. |
Dorney (2017), pg
224 |
|
Dec-20-22/2 |
The Belfast to Dublin train is boarded by
anti-Treaty volunteers at Castlebellingham, Co.
Louth. Passengers are ordered to
disembark and the train is shunted into a siding and derailed. The carriages are burnt. A goods train, making its way north, was also
stopped. The driver and fireman were
ordered of the train and the train was set driverless down the track where it
crashed into the stationary passenger train. |
Lawlor (2011), pgs 319-320 |
|
Dec-20-22/3 |
The home of Thomas Blennerhasset
at Cullenagh, Beaufort, Co. Kerry is burnt down by anti-Treatyites. See
Jun-16-22/6. |
Doyle (2008), pgs
236-237 |
|
Dec-22-22/1 |
Pro-Treaty Captain Fred Lidwell,
an assistant legal officer, is accidently shot dead in Kilkenny Military
Barracks. |
Walsh (2018), pgs
218-220 |
|
Dec-23-22/1 |
Writing in the Daily Telegraph about Erskine Childers, Llyod George describes
“his slight figure, his kindly, refined and intellectual countenance, his
calm and courteous manner”. He also
says that his mind was “imaginative” and “well trained” and that his will was
“tenacious”. He concludes “Brave and
resolute he was undoubtedly, but unhappily for himself also rigid and
fanatical”. |
Pakenham (1967), pg
87 |
|
cDec-24-22/1 |
Two anti-Treaty men - Gerald Fitzgibbon and
Joseph O’Connor - sentenced for the killing of Lieutenant Hanrahan (see
Oct-17-22/1) escape from Frederick St Barracks in Limerick. A 17-year old,
Kathleen Hehir, is shot dead during the pursuit of the two escapees. |
O’Callaghan (2018), pg
114 |
|
Dec-24-22/2 |
During an altercation between civilians and Free
State soldiers in Urlingford, Co. Kilkenny, a shot
is fired by a Free State soldier which hits 19-year-old civilian Edward Burke
in the head and he dies a few hours later. |
Walsh (2018), pg 248 |
|
cDec-24-22/3 |
A Christmas party is taking place in Flowerhill Orange Lodge outside Lisburn and is joined by
a patrol of four B Specials. A bullet
is accidently discharged from the rifle of one of the Special Constables
killing 19-year old James Haire
and wounding two others. |
Lawlor (2011), pgs 321-322 |
|
Dec-26-22/1 |
James Mangan, a 19-year old
from Killarney, Co Kerry is shot dead when he is walking through the Spa/Fair
Hill area. |
|
|
Dec-27-22/1 |
Writing to the O/Cs of his brigades, Lynch
says that no peace terms short of independence will be accepted. He also warns of getting involved in talks
like the period after the signing of the Treaty when “our Civil and Military
forces talked with the enemy while he was developing his army and procuring
his supplies”. |
Kissane (2005), pg
110 |
|
Dec-28-22/1 |
Writing to De Valera, Liam Lynch says “what I
hope is to bring the enemy to bankruptcy and make it impossible for a single
Government Department to function”. |
Dorney (2017), pg 6
& 142 |
|
Dec-28-22/2 |
In what could have been a reprisal for the killing
of Seamus Dwyer (see Dec-20-22/1), an anti-Treaty volunteer, Francis Lawlor,
is taken from his home in Ranelagh, Dublin and brought to Milltown in south
Dublin and shot dead. (His body is
dumped on Orwell Road.) |
Dorney (2017), pgs
1-2 and 224-225 |
|
Dec-28-22/3 |
The Methodist chapel at Ballylocknane,
near Adare, Co Limerick is destroyed by fire. |
O’Callaghan (2018), pg
124 |
|
Dec-29-22/1 |
After their sentences were confirmed by the
local Free State divisional commander, John T. Prout,
anti-Treatyites John Murphy (from Bishopslough, Bennettsbridge,
Co. Kilkenny) and John Phelan (from Committee, Thomastown, Kilkenny) are
executed in Kilkenny. The two men had been arrested on December 13th
in the home of Murphy’s mother in possession of two rifles, a revolver, two
bombs and ammunition. (O’Farrell says these two men were executed on
December 29th 1923 but that is almost definitely incorrect.) |
Macardle
(1999), pg 984; O'Farrell P (1997), pg 224; McCarthy (2015), pg
115; Walsh (2018), pg 220-223 |
|
Dec-29-22/1 |
Two pro-Treaty soldiers (Private John Talty of Lisadeen, Co. Clare
and Private Henry McLoughlin of Buncrana, Co.
Donegal) are killed and two others wounded in an attack on a foot patrol near
Castlegregory, Co. Kerry. Despite these two killings, the four
anti-Treaty volunteers held under threat of execution (see Dec-19-22/1) were
not shot. Instead, their sentences were commuted to ten years’ penal
servitude. |
Horgan
(2018), pg 90; Doyle (2008), pgs 239-240; Ó Duibhir
(2011), pg 218; Power (2020), pg
110 |
|
Dec-29-22/2 |
The body of a civilian, Jack Doyle, was found
near Annagassen in Co. Louth. He was shot by anti-Treaty volunteers as an
alleged spy. |
Hall (2019), pg 112 |
|
Dec-30-22/1 |
Jim Sugrue, O/C 6th Battallion, anti-Treaty Kerry No. 1 Brigade is captured
along with one his company captains, Paddy McMahon, at Trieneragh,
four miles from Listowel. |
Horgan (2018), pgs
131-132 |
|
Dec-31-22/1 |
Two civilians are shot dead in Waterford
City. Pierse Murphy is shot dead in
Doyle St and Thomas Cullen is mortally wounded when walking near the
Artillery Barracks. At their inquests,
pro-Treaty soldiers claimed that they shot back after they were shot at but
this is disputed by witnesses. Around
this time, another civilian, John O’Shea, is killed by sentry at the city
jail. |
McCarthy (2015), pgs
114-115 |
|
Dec-31-22/2 |
A meeting of the Neutral IRA takes place and
it is well attended. An Executive is
elected and a membership drive started.
They attempt to organise at the battalion level of the pre-Truce IRA.
See Jan-02-23/1 and Feb-04-23/1. |
Kissane (2005), pg
138 |
|
Dec-31-22/3 |
Craig is supplied with information that
between 1st April and 31st December 1922, 1,685 men
left [the six counties] to join the pro-Treaty army – 181 from Derry - of
whom 246 returned. Main reason for men signing up would seem to
have been poverty. Recruiting was not
interfered with by the Northern Ireland authorities as the majority of those
signing up were, according to the RUC, “out of works” and “ne’er do
wells”. Some 30 Protestants also joined the pro-Treaty
army. The RUC reported that the Dublin
government were anxious to recruit unionist ex-soldiers and ex-Specials as
they were likely to be far more vigorous in the execution of their duties
against Republicans than those joining from the Free State. |
McDermott (2001), pg
275; Grant (2018), pg 145 |
|
Dec-1922/1 |
Solicitors for Daithi
O’Donoghue and Stephen O’Mara seek an adjournment of the case taken against
them concerning the Dáil Loan (See Nov-15-22/3) as they wished to consult
with their clients. (Both O’Donoghue and O’Mara were interned at the
time). Adjournments granted as were
further ones. See Feb-10-23/5. |
O’Sullivan Greene (2020), pgs
172-173 |
|
cDec-1922/2 |
Sometime in late 1922, Ernst Blythe says “The first
step towards progress is a clear recognition of the fact that, instead of
being a race of super-idealists whose misfortunes are due entirely to the
crimes and blunders of outside enemies, we are an untrained and undisciplined
people with practically everything to learn of the difficult business of
organising national life on a stable basis … We are marching into freedom
ankle-deep in blood, and by all signs we are likely to go deeper still.” |
Garvin (1996), pg 60 |
|
cDec-1920/3 |
In answer to the pro-Treaty argument, that the
Treaty was the will of the people, an anti-Treaty handbill reads “if you had
answered the will of the people in 1914 you would have gone to the
Flanders. If you had answered the will
of the people in Easter Week, you would have lynched Patrick Pearse”. This is further evidence of the
difficulties which the legacy of the 1916 Rising posed for the pro-Treaty
side. See also Mar-27-22/2. |
Dorney (2017), pg
148 |
|
Dec-1920/4 |
IRB revived by pro-Treaty members of GHQ in
order to stop it being taken over by anti-Treatyites
(but excluded Liam Tobin and other pro-Treaty members of Collins’s old
Intelligence/Squad network). This was
later to have serious repercussions for the Free State government. See
Jun-10-23/1. |
Hopkinson (1988), pg
53 |